Mark Antony Review: Vishal, SJ Suryah starrer is a roller coaster ride

Mark Antony, which released on Friday, September 15, marks Vishal's comeback after a string of box-office failures. Although filmmaker Adhik Ravichandran's box office record did not offer much hope, in Mark Antony, he manages to break away from his style. Most importantly, the film emerges to be a fun, new addition to the series of retro style action movies that have sprung back into popularity.

3 things you need to know

• Mark Antony is fast-paced and tonally loud, but never stops being fun.
• The film has plenty of stylish action set pieces and pays ode to older Tamil movies 
• SJ Suryah delivers a knockout performance, playing the double roles of a father-son gangster duo.

Hot Take

Mark Antony follows the story of Antony (Vishal), a good-hearted mechanic who is under the guidance of his godfather Jackie (SJ Suryah) and wants to lead a peaceful life, away from the disrepute of his gangster father Mark. When Antony embarks on a journey to learn about his father, in order to correct the wrongs of his life, the chaos that ensues forms the rest of the narrative. 

Mark Antony makes use of cliches and some classic tropes of a gangster drama. With a time-travel twist, it turns out to be an original, fun-filled experience.

Does Mark Antony live up to the hype?

Mark Antony promised to be a retro style action drama, with a sci-fi twist. However, director Adhik Ravichandran does an impressive job of making a film that is over-the-top, formulaic yet fresh and fun.

An outlandish sense of humor

Mark Antony is a no-holds-barred outlandish comedy, and it proves its comic credentials by choosing a protagonist who is the subject of mirth. Every character is a caricature, every scene is filled with dialogues that parody valour and heroism. 

There are all the tropes of a high-stake crime drama - a gangster who rules over multiple hoods, the good-hearted criminal, the duplicitous close friend - but only dialed up to eleven. So it’s almost impossible to take anything happening on screen seriously.

It’s cartoonish to the extent that it takes some time to get attuned to its inherent silliness. Fortunately, the cast is in great sync with the film’s tonality. There are times when Mark Antony comes dangerously close to being unbearably fast and relentless. But something is very assured about the direction here, that Mark Antony often feels heady and self-indulgent but never headless.

The narrative makes space for plenty of set pieces

Mark Antony makes space for plenty of well-executed action set pieces that go well with the zany tonality of the narrative while it stays loyal to the hero-worshiping nature of quintessential action movies. Be it the sequence where Mark is possessed by a spiritual deity or the one where Mark and Jackie bring out the 'guitar boxes' to fight their enemies - each one of these portions is staged with conviction.

(Mark Antony released in cinemas on September 15 | Image: X)

Mark Antony manages to walk the fine line between sincerity and spoof (An assassination attempt sequence set in a double-decker deserves special mention for its blend of striking action choreography and goofy humour).

Mark Antony is full of twists

The narrative proceeds in the direction that holds the maximum capacity for madcap humour. Until the interval point, the film builds itself in a certain direction, with a frantic pace. The narrative is so relentless that you do not get enough time to think about an event.  And around the interval point, just when you feel you have a grip on the storyline, Adhik Ravichandran turns the tables with a twist, expecting them to keep up with the chaos.

The film's love for twists continues till the very end when an unusual suspect makes an entry in the climax battle, surprising the villain as well as the viewers.

Loaded with tributes

Even for the lesser-versed in the Tamil movie industry, it becomes very clear that Mark Antony is as much a tribute to older Tamil movies as it is loyal to the gangster genre.  The film title itself is a reference to the villain's name in the popular Rajinikanth movie Baasha. There are action sequences set in movie theatres. There are plenty of cheeky dialogues with references to Ajith, Shankar etc. And then there is the scene featuring Silk Smitha, which although questionable for its ethical choices of using the late actress' image without permission, captures her significance in the Tamil movie industry around the 80s. 

(A still from Mark Antony starring SJ Suryah and Vishal)

Additionally, the film makes use of two popular old songs as a soundtrack for action sequences. Guns are fired as vocals of SP Balasubramaniam and Ilayaraja play in the background.

SJ Suryah delivers a standout performance

The film may be named after the characters played by Vishal, but it's actor-director SJ Suryah who is the undisputed star of this show. He chews up the scenery in every scene he is a part of, taking great pleasure in mouthing every line like his life depended on it. Some might find Suryah's act too hammy or embellished, but Mark Antony has the kind of tonality where an exaggerated performance like his feels perfect.

In comparison, Vishal looks rather stiff and subdued. Perhaps the contrast helps the film because SJ Suryah gets the best lines and the most whacky moments. And he makes the most out of it. Ritu Verma is just about passable, but Mark Antony is also well supported by the performances of YG Mahendran, Redin Kingsley, Abhinaya and Sunil.

Watch it or skip it?

Although the over-the-top treatment of Mark Antony might not be everyone's cup of tea, the film definitely deserves a watch for its use of the sci-fi element in a quintessential action drama. If not anything else, watch it for SJ Suryah, who will convince you with his hamming act. 

Bottomline

Mark Antony is a good example of how familiar tropes can continue to be fun additions to movies with just the right amount of twists and innovation.

Rating: 3.5/5